1, 2, and 3 John (Rev. ed.)

Ultimately this is rather boring. A good summary of others’ opinions, but not quite convincing on his own positions.

Smalley and Marshall are my top 2 for more in depth study. Bruce and Thompson are both great for intro commentaries. Smalley is the more exhaustive and technical as well as being more up to date in interacting with secondary authors since it was revised. The Word format is not exactly user friendly, but this one suffers from the weaknesses of the format less than other volumes. I would certainly recommend this one for anyone who has the time, desire and ability to work from the Greek text.

Smalley’s commentary receives accolades from many of the commentators on the commentaries. He is praised for his conservatism and for his ability to understand and explain the positions of other scholars. Jim Rosscup notes, “Smalley is excellent in helping the reader be up on views and arguments from recent years, drawn from massive research. … He is usually quite full in discussing issues so that he offers much help on verses, and does so with clarity, directness, and confidence.” As always, the WBC requires an asterisk because of its annoying format. [Full Review]

It seems unfair to list this commentary last, but here is another really good commentary [Full Review]

Stephen S. Smalley has written a number of books on the works of John. His commentary on the Epistles of John is a valuable contribution to the literature. Although the WBC series is not the most reader-friendly series, it is worth the effort in this instance. [Full Review]

Best so-far on the Greek text but with some caveats. Smalley really has put together the best commentary on the Greek text of I, II, and III John we've got at this point. He is well-versed in the scholarship on these books and presents others' views well even when he disagrees. He is fairly good at sorting through the issues in a balanced way, giving good arguments for most of his conclusions. [Full Review]

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